Single-family-only zoning is no more in Alexandria.
Alexandria’s City Council voted unanimously at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, to approve the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All initiative.
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Douglass Memorial Cemetery (1421 Wilkes Street) has long suffered flooding and neglect, but the City of Alexandria said plans to address issues at the cemetery will be presented at a meeting next week.
City employee Michael Johnson has been ringing alarm bells about the state of the cemetery for years. The cemetery has been a burial site for Black Alexandrians since 1827. Around 2,000 people were buried in the cemetery before burials stopped in 1974.
Before the pandemic, I ran a Reddit forum that brought people together for local happy hours. It became a great outlet for an in-person social life: you could get out, get to know people nearby, and have a familiar group to spend time with. I enjoyed being the person who helped make that happen.
Getting people together became harder after the pandemic. Friends moved away, had kids, or settled into different routines, and organizing a night out took more effort. I still wanted that camaraderie, but having people to invite didn’t necessarily mean we could get something on the calendar.
I’m in my late 30s and live in Old Town. About a year ago, I joined Choros, a local membership community that helps guys build friendships through small-group activities. Since then, I’ve been to close to 50 hangouts, and it’s given me a regular group of guys to do things with around Alexandria and beyond.
I host board game nights and help host a monthly happy hour at the Commodore in Old Town. I’ve done escape rooms on King Street, trivia, food festivals in Del Ray, movie discussions, and Dungeons & Dragons (which can be especially tricky to get going as an adult with a busy schedule). Having that variety means I can find something that fits my mood and schedule, and there are usually familiar faces when I get there.
One of my favorite things, though, is getting on my bike, picking a destination, and making a day of it. Through Choros, I’ve found a consistent crew to ride with almost every month. That’s the kind of thing I wanted more of: people who enjoy the same stuff and make time to get out and do it together.
I still like hosting and bringing people together. What makes Choros useful is having a community to draw from, so every plan doesn’t depend on the same few friends being available. Other guys suggest and host things too, which gives me plenty of opportunities to join something without organizing it myself.
Over time, seeing the same guys at different activities builds familiarity. You have conversations to pick back up and another reason to make plans together. That’s how it’s become a circle of friends for me.
If you’re in Alexandria, check out Choros and come to one of our monthly happy hours at the Commodore. I’d be happy to meet a few more neighbors, whether you’re into board games, bike rides, or just getting out for a drink. There’s plenty happening here, along with activities throughout the rest of the D.C. area.
A new development at 1604-1614 King Street, sharing a similar name with a London locale and a mediocre Overwatch map, could see a group of new condos built a stone’s throw from the King Street Metro station.
The Kings Row project is heading back to the Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, Dec. 20, and would build a new seven-story expansion onto a group of townhouses built in 1913.
After a flurry of activity, the Del Ray Christmas tree is finally at home at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square.
The 32-foot-tall Fraser fir was lifted by a crane and installed on Tuesday afternoon. It’s the 13th straight year that Bill Blackburn of the Homegrown Restaurant Group selected and cut down the tree at the Naughty Pines Nursery in Maryland.
Event location
Duvall House
305 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
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Join George Washington at the beautiful, historic Duvall House—the site of his “coming home” celebration after the Revolutionary War! Libations and hearty hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds benefiting the 2027 George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria. Reserve your space at the event website, or email us at [email protected] if you prefer to pay at the door.
French and Italian tableware and home goods boutique Crème de la Crème will open at 907 King Street in March.
The Middleburg-based retailer recently signed a five-year lease with building owner EastBanc for the 2,200-square-foot property formerly home to Mackie’s Bar and Grill. The Old Town store will join the company’s two locations in Virginia — in Middleburg and Richmond — and one store in Frederick, Maryland.
Alexandrians who have been trying to flood-proof their homes should find it a little easier to get city funding.
Alexandria’s Flood Mitigation Grant Program received an update in October that makes it easier for property owners to access and boosts the amount of funding homeowners can receive. One of the big changes is that residents no longer have to show past flooding, meaning they can make precautionary improvements to homes that haven’t been hit with flooding before.
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Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect a mostly sunny day, with temperatures reaching a high of around 38 degrees. The northwest wind will be ranging from 6 to 11 mph in the morning, increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon and gusting up to 30 mph. As for Tuesday night, the sky will be mostly clear with the temperature dropping to a low of approximately 21 degrees. West wind will blow 7 to 14 mph and may gust as high as 21 mph.
Santa Claus will don a kilt and bagpipes this weekend for the Scottish Christmas Walk in Old Town. Here’s what you need to know about the annual event.
Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th) and his wife, Megan, are the grand marshals of the 52nd annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade. Thousands of parade watchers are expected to attend the free event, and the weather is forecasted to be cloudy and cool — perfect for taking pictures.
A new residential development that created a stir among some Old Town residents is heading to Alexandria’s Planning Commission next week.
The new development at 301 N. Fairfax Street — around two blocks west of Founders Park and two blocks north of City Hall — would create 48 new residential units, along with underground parking with 67 spaces and 10,065 square feet of private open space. Two of those units will be set aside as affordable housing.